I’m a big fan of The Beatles. I was born in Liverpool and I think most people from there feel a connection to the band. I love watching YouTube videos of them live – there’s nothing I like more than seeing footage I’ve never seen before (yes – I am a geek).
I secretly watch reality television shows (Real Housewives of Cheshire, Made in Chelsea, TOWIE, and Love Island). I usually keep this to myself – people look at me differently if I confess. When I meet someone who watches any of the above, I give them a mental high-five.
I love that it’s nearly always cold in the north of England. I hate summer clothes – the more layers the better!
I get homesick after about three days away – even if I’m with my family. I have no idea why, because when I get home I want to be on holiday again.
I’ve had a wide range of jobs: a sales assistant at Thorntons and a sandwich shop; a civil servant; a company secretary; a charity shop manager; and a table clearer in a café (that was definitely the hardest!)
I love the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I had to study it in secondary school, college, and for my Open University degree, so it’s just as well I like it so much. Each time I read it, I identify with different aspects of Jane’s life. I’ve watched most TV/Film adaptations of it too!
Maggie is my favourite character in 99 Red Balloons. I like her freedom to speak her mind, which comes from years of life experience. And I think we all have days when we don’t feel like talking to anyone.
I lived in Germany as a child as my dad was in the RAF. The song 99 Red Balloons (in German) was on the radio all the time. The first time I remember coming to live in England was when I was eight years old. Before that, we lived in Scotland for about four years.
Most of my ideas come to me when I’m driving. I have to keep a notepad and pen on the passenger seat and repeat the words again and again until it’s safe to scribble them down. If I’m out of the house, I use the ‘notes’ section in my phone. It’s full of random sentences; sometimes I don’t know what I was thinking about when I wrote them!
I love writing long hand. I have a large collection of notebooks and it’s great when I finish one to start another. I also enjoy writing with a fountain pen (it doesn’t hurt my hand as much as a biro!).
